The young girl stood obediently by his side, her gaze, however, was fixed on the distance, as gentle and pure as it always was.
"Accompany me? What good is there in accompanying an old man like me? If you were to contend, it might not be impossible."
"What is Grand Master saying? Ke Ke doesn't understand."
Doesn't understand?
Xuan Mingzi glanced at the embroidered small package hidden behind his disciple, which was Ke Ke's treasure pouch. This girl had always been very lucky since childhood.
Whenever she went to the back mountain, she would always discover treasures and blessed lands all over the mountains, a person born with great fortune.
Just now, this girl excitedly rummaged through and gave him a several-hundred-year-old fleeceflower root, its veins showing golden patterns, like a living creature.
He asked what the rest of the items were.
The little girl didn't answer, only saying it was for Yun Ming to nourish his body.
She herself, with insufficient cultivation, didn't even think about nourishing herself, instead, she would always go into the mountains when she had nothing to do, just to find these things, right?
She would get all dirty, and it wasn't even certain that Yun Ming would know.
As the saying goes, both the palm and back of the hand are flesh.
Qing Xuan, needless to say, was intelligent, powerful, and had Yun Ming clinging to her every day.
Xuan Mingzi naturally felt more pity for this silly girl, Ke Ke. For so many years, he dared not let her go out alone, fearing she would be bullied.
But outsiders didn't bully her.
In the end, she was still bullied by her own family… Xuan Mingzi usually never interfered in these matters, even if he knew, he pretended not to, after all, he was at the peak of the Second Realm.
For so many years, how could he not know about the little tricks of his rebellious disciples?
Wind Chime liked Zhimo, but that child Zhimo… Yun Ming liked Qing Xuan, and Ke Ke liked Yun Ming, but Ke Ke was someone who didn't contend, didn't snatch, and didn't speak up, while Qing Xuan doted on Yun Ming.
What a karmic entanglement! It was like a cycle; such things happened generation after generation on Yun Kui Mountain. He had long grown accustomed to it… Fate, it truly made one ponder.
"I am tired, go see Yun Ming off."
The old man rose and walked into the main hall, his faint lingering voice drifting, carrying a sense of a hero in his twilight years.
The young man rode his sword to the south, the old man walked alone to the north.
The morning sun's glow stopped beneath the eaves, also obscuring the hunched figure, as countless spiritual banners fluttered like a sea.
"Hey, Grand Master! You haven't said what you want for lunch yet?"
The sweet, childish voice broke the somber atmosphere, drifting crisply in the wind, and also brought a hint of a smile to the old man's lips.
He still turned back, unable to resist taking two more glances.
"Four liang of char siu, boiled greens, a bowl of rice, and secretly pour me some of the wine you hid from your junior brother!"
"Alright~"
Ke Ke bounced high, waving her hand, always full of vitality, and then excitedly followed in the direction the young man was heading.
Tiannan Peak.
At Qi Yun Courtyard, the three little ones quickly became familiar with each other in just a few days.
Yun Ming, in front of the little pink-haired girl, began special training for the two sisters, Yi Xuan and Yi Jiang. If they weren't afraid of hardship, they would have endless hardship.
Dividing his attention into three was very easy for him.
The two little ones paused their cultural lessons and honed their bodies in the courtyard, enduring spiritual energy whips during the day and medicinal baths in the evening.
By night, their master would warm and nourish their meridians and entire bodies.
Nicole had naturally also joined the sect, but unfortunately, her natural talent was insufficient, so she couldn't cultivate spiritual energy and could only use traditional methods, of course, also drawing on some of the Hoshimi Family's breathing techniques.
"Is Master leaving today?"
Yi Jiang brewed tea for Master, Yi Xuan served it, and Nicole was in charge of feeding snacks. The four sat around the stone table in the courtyard, enjoying themselves immensely.
"Hmm, I'll go say goodbye to Ke Ke later… then I'll descend the mountain to punish evil, eliminate villains, and suppress the Void! But after I leave, you must not neglect your martial arts and studies."
"You must listen carefully to Ke Ke and your Grand Master, understand? Especially you, Yi Xuan, at least pretend a little."
"Don't anger your Grand Master."
"Oh~"
Yi Xuan lowered her head in embarrassment. She always felt sleepy when Grand Master started lecturing; it really wasn't intentional.
"Then when can we descend the mountain, Master?"
"When you cultivate to the peak of the First Realm."
Yi Jiang was noncommittal; she had inquired early on, and many fellow disciples could enter the Void to fight as long as their spiritual energy was abundant.
Although her senior brothers and sisters were mostly older, their martial arts were excellent, capable of leaping onto rooftops.
She also wanted to be able to move freely sooner.
However, Grand Master said that this depended on her Master's arrangements.
The peak of the First Realm, steady and solid, would probably take another two or three years, especially with the improved cultivation method, it was even harder.
"Junior Brother~"
At this moment, a familiar call came from outside the courtyard.
Before he could even turn around, there was another forceful impact; Ke Ke always loved to tackle people, a serious foul!
"So flustered, what's wrong?"
"Ugh, isn't it because I heard you were leaving and didn't even say goodbye to me?"
"Didn't I tell you yesterday?"
"Eh, there's no sense of ceremony at all. At least come see me one last time?"
Ke Ke tiptoed to pull Yun Ming's ear, but Yun Ming turned around and cupped her face instead. How could a mere Ke Ke try to usurp him?
No way.
He squeezed her chubby face into a ball and said with a grin.
"It's not like we're parting for good. Tell me what you want me to bring you next time I come back."
"Bear paw, deer antler, tiger penis…"
She rattled off dozens of ingredients. Nowadays, it was not like before; wild animals had to be hunted, and resources were scarce.
Yun Ming's face darkened, and he pushed her away.
Did she think he was a wishing well?
"Be serious, send it to me on your phone."
"Hehe, I knew Junior Brother was the best~"
Ke Ke, thoroughly satisfied, snuggled up again, pulling out a few good items from the bag behind her, stored in boxes.
Bodhi fruit, eating it increased cultivation, rated by Yun Ming as a rare treasure full of spiritual energy.
Exquisite Twin Flowers, one black and one white, exceptionally strange.
Besides being beautiful, they contained both Aether and spiritual energy, perfectly aligning with the profound principle of the two polarities of the Bagua, also known as Yin-Yang Flowers.
Good things that could enhance one's aptitude.
Bloodvine, its sap had miraculous effects on healing and resisting Aether erosion, a medicinal herb that was sold at sky-high prices on the black market.
However, it was only found within the Yun Kui Mountain's territory.
Outsiders dared not trespass, and the major financial groups could only watch Yun Kui Mountain sit on a treasure mountain without taking it.
"This is for you, this is for you, and this… this one no, I need to eat it to grow taller… never mind, I'm not growing anymore anyway, so take them all."
Ke Ke kept rummaging through her small, intricately embroidered package, filling Yun Ming's arms, very generous.
But then she stingily took the bag away.
This treasure pouch was a gift from Junior Brother, very expensive, Sister An Nan said it cost over a thousand dinnar… Since it was given, she wouldn't give it back.
"Why are you staring at me? Even if you praise me, there won't be any other benefits, hehe…"
Yun Ming was speechless, looking at the treasures in his arms, radiating a strong life force. He felt inexplicably uneasy.
He could usually lift objects weighing thousands of catties.
Yet, at this moment, holding these medicinal herbs as light as a feather, his arms felt somewhat overwhelmed.
"You hid so many treasures again?"
"Mmm~ This is the result of half a year's work, you know. I originally planned to give you one every now and then, so you'd remember how good your Senior Sister is. But I'm afraid you'll encounter danger when you go down the mountain, so take them all."